The project is geared towards lawyers in the Hunter region
Legal Aid NSW has teamed up with The Aboriginal Services Unit, Transforming Aboriginal Outcomes (TAO) at the Department of Communities and Justice on a project focused on Aboriginal justice.
The two organisations will co-present an Aboriginal Justice Services Hub event this Friday in Newcastle. The event is geared towards linking up lawyers based in the Hunter region with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.
“Innovative approaches like this are crucial. Almost a quarter of our clients are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Aboriginal people are incarcerated at 13 times the rate of non-Indigenous people, so cultural competency training of this sort is essential”, Legal Aid NSW CEO Monique Hitter said. “We are deeply committed to improving access to justice by working with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations and service providers”.
The event will tackle the legal aspects of issues like domestic and family violence, substance abuse, gambling, disability and homelessness. It will also feature cultural competency training and guidance on effectively working with Aboriginal clients.
Under the training, stories about the lived experience of Aboriginal people who were involved with the criminal justice system will be shared. The event will also delve into Aboriginal cultures in the Hunter region.
“This storytelling can reveal important truths and connect people at a deep level. Crucially, the project helps lawyers to feel more confident in delivering services to Aboriginal people and in building stronger connections with them. The showcasing of First Nations Peoples' lived experience enhances the ability of lawyers to communicate effectively and with a deeper understanding of important cultural factors”, said Taylah Gray, Closing the Gap senior project officer at Legal Aid NSW. “Community and culture are central to the life of many Aboriginal Peoples, and when there’s a deeper awareness of that, it helps to increase access to justice”.
Legal Aid and the Aboriginal Services Unit, TAO confirmed that there are plans to expand the program to other parts of NSW. Last year, Legal Aid NSW also partnered with TAFE NSW and Macquarie University on the Aboriginal Legal Career Pathways Program.
